Embracing Your Birthright
by schizo-nephalim
Summary: Kyra meets Gabriel for the first time, and is shocked at the revelations he gives her about herself. Not only that, but she is given a choice that will change everything...
1. Kyra's POV

Embracing Your Birthright

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I don't own the Winchesters or their world, or I'd make Dean my love slave. I only own Kyra.

**Rating: **K+ for slight language and flashbacks of painful memories

**Characters:** Dean, Sam, Gabriel, Castiel, Kyra Singer (OC)

**Description:** Kyra meets Gabriel for the first time, and is shocked at the revelations he gives her about herself. Not only that, but she is given a choice that will change everything...

**A/N:** This story pretty much jumps the rails from **5.08 "Changing Channels"** after Dean and Sam trap Gabriel in the holy fire and he explains their part of the Apocalypse, but before they have him bring Castiel back. I have a lot more in this world (aka this line with Kyra), but my muse wants to be difficult and not let me finish them. Also, this is my first time actually publishing my work, so review please! Enjoy!

I pulled up to the warehouse and saw the car just where Castiel said it would be…Sam and Dean had been missing for days, and Cas had disappeared in the search for them. Last I had heard, they had been on the tail of the Trickster before they disappeared. My instincts screamed at me that the angels were behind all of it, and I was ready for the fight, even if I had no chance of winning.

As soon as I parked my car beside the Impala, I jumped out and started grabbing the things I would need out of the trunk…Molotov cocktails made with holy oil and the archangel's blade…I wish I had more to defend myself with, but most of the arsenal in my trunk was useless against angels.

Creeping to the door, I took a deep breath to steady myself…I had no idea what I would find, but I knew I wouldn't stop until either I found the boys or I died trying. The cocktails were in the pack on my back, and the blade was clenched firmly in my hand. I was as ready as I would ever be, even though I felt woefully unprepared for whatever was behind that door.

With one last deep breath, I kicked in the door and was briefly stunned by what I saw…Sam and Dean were standing near a ring of holy fire, their attention on me at the sound of my entrance, and there was an angel that I'd never seen before trapped inside. Unlike Sam and Dean, I could see his true face behind the exterior of his vessel, and I felt a chill as the features lit up in a smile as his eyes turned toward me.

"Finally!" the angel exclaimed, his full attention on me. "Now the party really is complete."

I kept my eyes glued on him as I walked over to Sam and Dean, wary and unsettled at his greeting. They kept shooting glances between themselves while stealing looks at me and the angel, but said nothing until I stood at Sam's side.

"Kyra, this is the Trickster…aka Gabriel," Dean informed me. My eyes widened at the information, but it suddenly made perfect sense to me…of course he was Gabriel…I could tell by his true face that he was an archangel…the only question was why he had been posing as a lowly Trickster.

"Don't bother with introductions, boys," Gabriel cut in before anything else could be said. His eyes were on me again, and something in the softening of his expression made me shudder inwardly. "It's good to see you again, Sarah…it's been such a long time."

"You don't know me," I growled, my anger rising to just below the surface. How dare he pretend that he knows me!

"Sweetheart, I've been watching over you since you were born," he said softly. "What else could I do? I couldn't just leave you alone…after all, out of all my descendants, you're my favorite."

Time seemed to stop and my blood turned to ice at his words…no…there was no way in hell that I was descended from a fucking archangel! Even as I mentally protested, certain things started popping up in my head…my built-in lie detector…my ability to see things about people and objects just by touching them…the sight I possessed that allowed me to see the true faces of all the non-humans I came across, regardless of what species they were…

"Say what?" Sam's incredulous voice jumped in. I couldn't look at him, but I could feel the shock and disbelief radiating from him. Gabriel's attention was solely on me, and I could feel so many emotions radiating from him that it honestly scared me, the least reason being that angels were made to obey, not to feel.

"I think you can explain part of it to them…I know you know about the nephalim, at least," Gabriel said softly. The term made me bristle, but he was right…I had studied enough religious lore to know everything a human could possibly learn about the nephalim.

"What's a nephalim?" Dean asked. I finally tore my gaze away from the archangel and turned my attention to the Winchesters…their expressions were confused and wary. I took a deep breath to steady myself.

"It's part of the lore that was left out of the King James version of the Bible," I started to explain, my shaking voice betraying how unnerved I really was at that point. "Some of the Host of Heaven looked down at Earth, and when they saw how beautiful the human women were, they became lustful…the offspring of those desires were the nephalim…imagine a creature with the soul of a human and the power of an angel…they nearly tore the planet apart, but God decreed that they be hunted down and destroyed, so they were."

"Of course, it wasn't just a one-day operation," Gabriel chimed in, making all of us face him again. "It took _years_ to hunt them all down…but what nobody else knew was that one of them lived long enough to father a child…the angel blood was diluted enough for the second generation to stay under the radar, and the hunt finally ended."

His tone had turned surprisingly sad, his expression seemingly lost in the memory of that time. After a moment, he seemed to mentally shake himself and looked at me again, a small, sad smile on his face.

"I was no different than my brothers…I gave in to temptation…and I protected my son as long as I could…and now, a thousand generations later, here you are."

Silence reigned for several moments as his words sank in; I was vaguely aware of the emotions from Sam and Dean, but I was lost in thought. If he really had been watching over me this whole time…

"Why did you let them die?" I asked, the pain and fury I felt turning my voice into a hoarse whisper. The pain that crossed his face only fed my fury.

"Honey, I tried to stop it…I really did…with your brother, with your children, with your husband…"

"You're lying," I hissed dangerously, fighting the tears that were filling my eyes at the memories that his words dragged to the surface. He slowly raised his hands in a placating gesture, but I was beyond caring.

"I can show you…I know you may not want to see, but I think you deserve the truth. Just remember, it's only an instant replay; you'll be less than a ghost in the background." With that, he snapped his fingers, and the warehouse immediately disappeared, replaced by a location I could never forget.


	2. Kyra's Past

I was less than a mile from my parents' house, the place I had grown up, standing at the corner of the divided four-lane highway where the road crossed between Frenchport and Elliott. The Frenchport water tower loomed over the opposite side of the highway like a lone anchor of sanity. With a jolt, I saw the white Mercury Sable that used to belong to my brother's wife cross the first half of the highway headed in my direction. I wanted to scream, but I remembered what Gabriel had said…nothing I would do could change anything that would happen.

All I could do was watch hopelessly as the car sat in the division between the two sides of the highway, waiting for the traffic to pass. I knew what was going to happen before it did, but it still made my heart shatter all over again to actually see the accident…the Sable stalled as it was crossing the intersection, and seconds later the van and car came over the hill…the van was going way too fast and changing lanes…without even hitting the brakes, the van t-boned the Sable, crushing the passenger side where my seven-year-old brother and my year-old nephew were sitting—my nephew's car seat flew out of the car as the seat belt holding it in place snapped. The third car tried to hit the brakes, but they were too close and slammed into the rear of the Sable, sending it spinning into the ditch. I ran forward, my heart in my throat, scared of what I would find.

My baby brother was in the front seat, already gone—crushed by the impact—but as heartbreaking as it was to see the full extent of the damage, that wasn't the part that shocked me. Gabriel was there also, holding his body and crying softly, his tears mingling with the blood on Will's head.

The day fast-forwarded, and I saw myself arriving with my parents at the hospital after the accident. Seeing the inside of the hospital again made me shudder, but I unwillingly followed my younger self down the hall to the room that destroyed my world…only this time, I could see more clearly. The nurse by my side as I ran down the hall, the same woman who had caught me when I collapsed to my knees screaming as I caught the first glimpse of my baby brother through the door where his body was laid out…it had been Gabriel, disguised, that had been my first support after the accident.

The scene changed, and I found myself standing on the sidewalk outside the apartment building I had lived in with my husband and children in Tulsa. My heart and emotions were already strained enough without having to relive this nightmare too…thankfully, I didn't seem to have to go inside. Gabriel stood beside me on the sidewalk, sweat beaded on his forehead in exertion, and the expression on his face was one of desperation and frustration. As I watched, he spoke Enokian over and over again…my fluency let me understand that he was trying to cast protection over our apartment, but none of his castings seemed to be holding. I saw the werewolf that used to be my husband creep up the wall to our children's bedroom window…Gabriel tried to bodily grab him, to smite him, but he seemed just as ghostlike as I was…it was as if he were made of air, his arms passing through like smoke.

His expression turned frantic at that point, but I could see there was nothing else he could have done…something was obviously blocking his powers, and that something had to be God…nobody else could have intervened with Gabriel's powers. He pounded the wall, screaming in hopelessness and despair, and the fierceness of those emotions scared me.

Another fast-forward, and I saw myself sitting in the living room of the apartment, surrounded by police with Dean and John being questioned nearby. Invisible to me at the time, I saw Gabriel sitting beside me, his arms wrapped comfortingly around me as I answered the questions the police threw at me. When one of the cops seemed to suggest that I had been in on the slaughter of my children—something I had never noticed at the time—Gabriel used his influence to have another cop talk sense into him…I was obviously in shock, traumatized by what had happened that night.

He had held onto me the entire time the police questioned me, but even when I stood to leave with Dean and John, he never broke contact…he kept a comforting hand on my shoulder, a hand I never felt at the time, as I followed them to the Impala. I heard my younger self tell them that I was going with them, and I saw Gabriel's surprise at my insistence. From reading him, I could tell that he had never used influence on me to affect my decision to become a hunter—that was a choice I made on my own.

The scene changed again, and I found myself in the backseat of the Impala just as I had been when I first left Tulsa with Dean and John, but for the first time I saw that I wasn't alone…Gabriel was in a rather uncomfortable position on the floorboards, holding my hand, stroking my hair…I had been so numb from shock, so catatonic at the time that I'd never noticed any presence besides the two men in the front seat. I paid closer attention to what Gabriel was doing…as he stroked my hair, he was whispering soothing words in Enokian with tears in his eyes…not a spell, but comfort. He was comforting me, doing the only thing he could do in the aftermath of the carnage he'd been unable to prevent…he caused the numbness, the blissful lack of feeling that had saved my sanity and possibly my life during those first days after losing my family.


	3. Sam's POV

My mind felt like it was going to explode from the revelations Gabriel had given the three of us in the last ten minutes…everything about the Apocalypse and how me and Dean fit into the picture, then the things he'd told Kyra…it only took one look at her face to know that she wasn't in with him, that she'd never known about the connection between her and the archangel—if that connection even existed in the first place. When he snapped his fingers and she vanished, however, that was my final straw.

"What the hell did you do to her?" I demanded, wanting nothing more than to cross into the circle of holy fire and beat him to a pulp. He kept his hands raised in the same placating gesture he used with her.

"I just sent her on a little stroll down memory lane," he said smugly, finally lowering his hands. "As soon as she sees everything, she'll come back—don't worry so much Sam, I wouldn't do anything to hurt her."

"And what exactly is she supposed to see?" Dean asked, his expression reflecting the same caution and worry I felt. Gabriel's eyes narrowed.

"She's gonna see that I was there the whole time…I tried to stop all of it, but Dad wouldn't let me…I tried to save her brother from that car accident, I tried to protect her apartment in Tulsa, I tried to smite that bastard werewolf she called her husband before he could get in…I was there on her most dangerous hunts.

"I saw the cancer eating at her…I tried to heal it, but nothing I did could stop it…I was holding her hand when she died…and it took me awhile, but I realized why her powers kept growing…the more time I spent around her, the more her abilities manifested. I'm the reason she can do the things she does—I'm her forefather, the link to the angel in her blood. The more I stayed with her, watched her, protected her, the more the angel side of her woke up…she's more nephalim than human now."

Before we could process this enough to speak, Kyra suddenly reappeared between us, breathing heavily as she dropped to her hands and knees. We scrambled to her sides and saw the tears running down her face; she squeezed her eyes shut, her expression full of pain. I looked at Dean, and his eyes were full of pain and worry. I knew that look…even though he'd never admitted it, I knew he loved her, and he was hurting because she was, worried because of what Gabriel's revelation might mean.

Several moments passed before she regained her composure and sat up, not bothering to wipe the tears away. We both offered our hands to her, but she only took Dean's as he gently pulled her to her feet. She had confided to me her true feelings for my brother when she helped us fight off the army of demons that Lillith had sent after us in that jail in Monument, but she had never brought herself to tell him, convinced as she was that he couldn't possibly love her.

"It's time, sweetie," Gabriel said, his voice eerily soft, making all of us look at him again.

"Time for what?" Dean asked, his worry now carved into his expression.

"To accept your birthright, of course," the archangel said, answering the question but speaking to Kyra. I saw both her and Dean stiffen in fear.

"Bring Cas back," she demanded simply. After meeting her gaze for a moment, Gabriel snapped his fingers and Castiel appeared behind Dean, looking a little worse for wear but otherwise okay.

"Cas, you ok?" my brother asked. The angel nodded, but before he could speak, Kyra met his gaze.

"Cas…did you know about this?" she asked quietly. The question made him look away, obviously uncomfortable.

"I did not wish to say anything, Kyra," he muttered. "The orders regarding the nephalim are clear…if I were to acknowledge your bloodline, it would have meant the entire Host of Heaven would hunt you down and kill you…I was trying to protect you."

I felt my jaw drop…not only was it true, but Cas had kept something this important from us? Not only that, but did it to protect Kyra? I never knew he cared about her enough to actively protect her like that.

"Come on, Kyra," Gabriel said, finally calling her by her preferred name instead of her birth name. "You've more than earned your wings."

"What does that mean?" she asked, her voice edged with uncertainty.

"He means awakening your Grace," Cas spoke before Gabriel could answer. "The nephalim have many of the same attributes as we do—our wings, our Grace, many of our powers-"

"Blah blah blah, they get it already," Gabriel interrupted, a look of frustration starting to cross his features.

"How is she supposed to control those powers if she steps up?" Dean asked, making us look at him…his expression was so full of concern, it shocked me. I knew what he was really asking, though—he was asking if the woman he loved would become something we'd be forced to hunt.

"Look, the nephalim before her were little more than children—they never had the chance to learn control, or good from bad, or any of the things that might've saved them from being hunted," Gabriel snapped. "She knows all those things, Dean…her abilities came on gradually, and she learned to control them even as they grew stronger and stronger…she won't be like the others."

"But you don't know that for sure," I threw in, catching the look in his eyes. "It's a pretty sound theory, but you really don't know what's gonna happen to her if you wake up her Grace, do you?"


	4. Dean's POV

The lack of an instant answer told us more than any words could; it was a gamble, one that he was willing to bet on because he wouldn't have to face the consequences if he was wrong. My blood boiled as I stared down Gabriel…the sorry bastard was trying to convince Kyra to play with fire, and there was too much of a chance that it would burn her alive.

"Why are you pushing for this?" she asked him, her eyes locked on his—I shivered at the way he looked at her, like she was a favorite toy or something.

"Because these two muttonheads are too stupid to realize what it really means," he told her with a smirk, then his tone turned way too gentle. "You could stop it, Kyra…you could derail the apocalypse singlehandedly. A true nephalim is strong enough to take an archangel head-on and win."

I stole a glance at Kyra's face and felt my heart stop for a moment…her poker face had disappeared, and she was actually thinking it over! Every cell in my body screamed to tell her there was no way in hell I was gonna let her turn into something else, but for once, my common sense won that fight—if I did that, she'd probably do it anyway just to spite me.

"Is he right?" Sam asked Cas…I glanced at the angel for a moment before turning my gaze back to Kyra. She wasn't moving, and I wasn't even sure if she was listening.

"It's possible," the angel conceded, "but there's a terrible risk, Kyra."

The silence that followed nearly drove me insane. Everything depended on what she would choose, but dammit, I couldn't let her go—I can't lose her like this! I'll even tell her how much I love her, if she'll tell him to take those wings and shove them up his ass!

My heart broke when she finally turned to face me…the decision was all over her face…tears burned my eyes when she slowly raised a hand toward me—an offering to share her mind, to keep things private between us. I never liked anyone poking around in my head, but this was my final chance to beg her to do the sane thing and not do it…our fingers intertwined as I took her hand.

"_Dean…"_ her thought trailed off, but the images spoke what she wanted to say…she saw herself killing Lucifer, destroying monsters with no effort…

"_Kyra, no,"_ I pleaded, a tear finally escaping as I showed her what I had kept from her for the last three years…every bit of love I felt for her, every dream and fantasy I'd ever had about her—whether it was X-rated or white picket fence material—everything… _"Please, don't do this…I don't wanna lose you."_

"_You'll never lose me, Dean,"_ her voice whispered in my mind, tears of her own falling again—I couldn't stop myself from reaching out and wiping them away with the hand that wasn't holding hers. Everything she'd kept hidden—her love for me, the talks with Sam about me, her own desires—poured into my mind, and I cursed myself for being so stupid and blind. _"__**Nothing**__ will change what I feel…I'll always come back to you."_

My hand was still cupping her face, and I pulled her close and kissed her, hoping against hope that our first kiss wouldn't be the last. Her lips were softer, the kiss better than I ever imagined…she was so full of tenderness and love that it took my breath away. It ended just as softly as it started, and the crushing pain in my chest as she pulled away left a gaping hole.

"Cas, let him out." Her voice shook just a little, but it still carried the weight of authority I was used to. I looked at the angel, pleading with my eyes, but he just sighed heavily and snapped his fingers, making the flames disappear.

_God, please don't let her turn into something I'll have to hunt,_ I prayed silently as she walked over to stand in front of Gabriel. He gave her a small smile that made me wanna rip his head off, then looked up at us.

"If you two value your sight, you might wanna close your eyes," he said with that annoying superiority he spoke with. Still, he couldn't say he didn't warn us, so I closed my eyes as I saw him reach a hand toward her face. Peeking through, I saw him whisper something to her, then he kissed her forcefully.

Before I could react, a brilliant light started to emanate from her, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut and cover them with my arm. The ringing had started in my ears, but it never reached the intensity to make me cover my ears.

"Beautiful," Cas whispered behind me, his voice full of awe.

Suddenly, the light and the ringing stopped, and I opened my eyes; Kyra and Gabriel were gone. The gaping hole in my chest screamed for my attention, but a numbness had fallen on me…she was gone…the only woman I'd ever truly loved, the only woman I never made a move on, was gone.

"What happened? Where'd they go?" Sam asked. Cas sighed again.

"I don't know…the Enokian script on her ribs wasn't removed by the change, so I can't track her," Cas told us. I couldn't look away from the spot where she'd disappeared…the tears had stopped, but I had to force more of them back as the possibilities ran through my mind.

Sam's hand grabbed me by the shoulder, and I let him steer me out the door and to the Impala. There was no way I could handle driving, so I tossed him the keys and leaned against the hood, resting my head in my hands.

_Where are you?_ I asked, my thoughts focused on Kyra as the tears forced their way out again. _ Are you okay? Are you even alive?_

There was no answer.

The End


End file.
